Wheeled toy phonograph



AprilH 1950 1.. H. OTTOFY 2,504,042

WHEELED TOY PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept. 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 11, 1950 L. H. OTTOFY 2,504,042

WHEELED TOY PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept. 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIlllII-- IllllllIIIIIIIHIIIIIIHIIIIHIlllllllll.

Lad'z's H. 023% April 11, 1950 1.. H. OTTOFY 2,504,042

WHEELED TOY PHONOGRAPH Filed Sept. 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ./09 n f v q 7&2)

m /08 I //4 my 7 H5 Patented Apr. 11, 1950 11:33

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,504,042 WHEELED TOY PHQNOGRAPH Ladis H. ottory, Chicago, 111. Application September 14, 1944, Serial'No. 554,049

8 Claims. (Cl. 274-17) This invention relates in general to a recording 'tape talking device, and is more particularly described as an advertising, commercial; or novelty phonograph for repeating words, phrases, greetings, slogans, or the like, in the operation of a movable toy, or by some structure which has sufficient movement to engage a length of tape upon which a message is recorded.

An important object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive toy or novelty phonograph which is easily operated by hand for producing a recorded message or sound.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sound reproducer and means for disengaging it from a phonographic tape when desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a phonographic tape and means for reproducing sound from it in both directions of movement. Other objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a toy having a phonographic device in sound reproducing position;

Fig. 2 illustrates the method of raising the phonographic device from its sound producing position;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the toy device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the toy shown in.Fig.' 1 with some of the parts omitted for clearness;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the toy shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a portion of the holder as shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the holder; Fig. 8 is a plan view of the sound reproducing diaphragm;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view takenon the line '9-9 of Fig. 8;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are sectional details illustrating modifications of the sound producing diaphragm;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of a reproducing disc with a tape engaging projection;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of a sound reproducer vvitha-recessed tape engaging projection;

Fig. 15 illustrates a wheel having a recording tape at the edge of one rim;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken on the line I6-I6 of Fig. 15; Fig. 17 illustrates a multiple call "machine for paging a number of persons;

N Fig. 18 illustrates a wheel with recording tape at one edge and at the periphery of a wheel;

Fig. 19 shows a solid. disc of plastic, or the like, having sound undulations across the width of the wheel;

the tape will not be worn or damaged.

Fig. 20 illustrates an endless belt type of recording tape with inside and outside pickups;

Fig. 21 illustrates a straight type of reproducer tape having sound records on opposite sides with a reproducer slide for engaging either side thereof; I

Fig. 22 illustrates a tape of the type shown in Figs. 20 and 21 having recording portions on opposite sides thereof and made from two separate tapes secured together;

Figs. 23, 24, 25 and 26 illustrate dies for bonding two tapes together in straight or curved form;

Fig. 27 shows a reproducer having a tape movable in opposite directions and two reproducers, one of which is engaged when the tape is moved in one direction, and the other when the tape is moved in the reverse direction; and

Fig. 28 illustrates two sound tracks connected at the ends with a phonographic speaker engaging one sound track during its movement in one direction and the other sound track during it movement in the opposite direction.

Recording tapes have now been produced so that they may be applied in a variety of ways to reproduce sound for various purposes and uses. The tapes may be applied to wheels of toys or multiple paging systems; they may be connected together for multiple uses at the sides or edges of wheels, discs and similar articles; the opposite sides of connected tapes may be engaged at the same time or different times to produce different' results, and multiple tapes may be moved in opposite directions to actuate different reproducing devices depending upon the direction of their movement. Referring now more particularly to the drawings. a wheel toy is shown in Figs; 1 to 5 having .a tape supporting wheel 30 mounted upona pivot 3|, supported by opposite projecting extremities of a base 32 having spaced extremities 33 and an upwardly extending handle 34.

In the periphery of the wheel is a groove 35 for seating a phonographic tape 36 therein fre'e from contact with any surface engaged by the wheel, so that the sound producing grooves o A sound producer comprising a hollow drum 31 has-a flexible diaphragm 38 at one end from which a stylus 39 extends for engaging the sound track of the tape 35. In the outer orother end of the drum is a diaphragm 40 which may be solid as shown in Fig. 10, or may be provided with a central perforation M as shown in Fig. 5.

To move the reproducer into and out'of recording position, a holder 42 is attached thereto by opposite arms 43 and 44 which extend over the top and by oppositearms .45 secured to the lower edge of the drum and extending below the bottom with-inwardly turned extremities-45 adapted to embrace the opposite sides of the wheel 36 for holding the drum relatively in position with respect thereto. One of the arms 44 has projecting ears 4'! for pivoting one end of a supporting link 48 therein, and the. lower end of this arm has a projection 49 for engaging the side or one edge of the link. The other end of the link 48 is pivotally mounted in a bracket 50 attached to the upper side of the base 32. Connected to the upper end of the link is an operating bar with bifurcated extremities 52 at the lower end extending inwardly through the cars 41'. and forming the pivot upon which the link 48 is mounted at this end. The other end of the rod 5| is pivotally connected to a hand grip 53 which in turnis pivoted at the upper end of the handle 34 so that it may be operated by the fingers with-- out removing the hand from the handle 34. By drawing upwardly on the hand grip, the. reproducing device is raised with the operating link to the broken line position as shown in Fig. 2 by removing the stylus from contact with the tape .:36. When the hand grip is released, the link 41 and the phonographic reproducer will descend by gravity until the stylus engages the tape, thus placing the device in reproducing position.

The reproducing stylus 39 is preferably in the form of a staple having its free ends in contact with both sides of the disc as shown more, clearly in Fig. 9' with the lower or contact portion projecting, from the. diaphragm 33 a suificient dis- .tance to extend into the groove 35 and engage the reproducing portion of the tape 3'5. Instead of the stylus terminating in the lower diaphragm, a staple 54 as shown in Fig. 11, may have upwardly projecting extremities 55 which extend :through the upper diaphragm 4B, thereby causing sound to be. transmitted by the staple to both .diaphragms. It is also contemplated that a wheel SB-as shown in Fig. 12 may have a sound tape 5 secured to its outer periphery by small nails 58 at the edges, Or other suitable fastening means such that the middle portion of the tape. stands :outwardly from the wheel 55 or any other support, and engages a staple 59- contacting directly with a sounding diaphragm 5.5. In order to maintain. the. wheel or other support in. proper con- :tact with the stylus, angle brackets 6! are attached at the under side of the diaphragm at opposite ends of the staple to engage therebetween the opposite sides of the wheel or support, holding the stylus in proper contact with the tape.

In its preferred form, particularly for the purpose of a toy or other light phonographic devices, it is contemplated that a reproducing drum 62 .ofpaper or similar sheet material will be provided having a strengthening roll 63 at one end for seating a similar sheet diaphragm 64 tightly therein and a bead 65 at the other end for seating a similar sheet diaphragm 66 therein. A contact stylus of any desired form may be attached to the diaphragm similar to those heretofore shown, or a stylus Bl having double projections and a recessed portion 68 may be applied thereto. If desired, a projecting stylus 59 may be attached by means of a disc 58 to the larger surface of the diaphragm 64 as shown in Fig. 13.

In actuatinga sound reproducer, as shown in Figs. I5 and 16, a wheel H may be rotated in any desired manner having a tape 12 inserted on end at one side of the wheel in a. groove 73 so that a sound reproducing surface 14 is located at a projecting edge of the tape. This is engaged .by a stylus 15 secured to a diaphragm l6 atone fend of-a drum 11. Instead of having a separate tape, a wheel 18 may be provided as shown in Fig. 18, comprising a thin strip of material forming the rim, supported by arms 19 with a sound reproducing tape or surface 80 in the edge of the rim or a broader reproducing surface 8| at the periphery of the rim either formed integrally therein or having a tape applied thereto.

' Instead of a hollow rim, the reproducer may be in the form of a solid disc 82 of plastic or similar material as shown in Fig. 19 having a sound reproducing surface 83 formed directly in its margirl or rim.

To provide a multiple call device for paging persons in buildings or for multiple announcements which are often repeated as in operating elevators, for warning signals, and the like, a plurality of reproducers 84, 85, 86 and 81 may be mounted upon a common rotatable shaft 88, any one-of which is adapted to be engaged by a sound reproducing device 89 mounted upon and movable along a supportingrod 90 and adapted to engage any one of the reproducers 84 to 81 which contain the different slogans or directions intended to be used.

Other'multiple or two-way uses are illustrated in Figs. 20 to 28', utilizing sound tapes 9| and 92 secured together at their backs so that the reproducing surfaces are outermost. An endless tape 93 of this kind may be mounted upon wheels .94 and 95 so that reproducer pickups 96 and 91 may be moved to engage either the inside or the outside tape at different times, or if desired, at the same time.

For engaging a straight double tape 99, as shown in Fig. 21, a reproducer slide I00, may have openings IOI near the ends which are bent towards each other at the ends so that the tape will ex-- tend through the openings. This reproducer slide may be of sheet metal, plastic or other vibratory sounding material such that a stylus [82 attached to one of the free ends may be brought into engagement with one side of th recording tape and another stylus I03 is provided near the other end of the reproducer opposite the other free end of the slide and on the opposite side of the tape to engage. the other reproducing surface thereof. Thus when one of the bent overextremities of the reproducer is pressed against the tape at one side, the sound recorded thereon will be reproduced, and when the other end. of the slide is pressed inwardly, the other stylus I03 will engage the other reproducing side of the tape. A similar double tape ill 4 having sound tracks on opposite sides may have sound reproducing from either side thereof, depending upon the movement of the tape with respect to an upper reproducing device I05 and a lower reproducing device N16. The upper reproducing device l-05 has a supporter Ill! for rollers I08 and H19, tending to maintain the tape in the straight path. In an inclined guideway H0 is a through roller -IH contacting with the under side of the tape and movable by contacting with the tape in one direction to raise the tape into engagement with the stylus of the sound reproducer I05. An upper ,roller H2 limits the amount to which the tape may be raised. In the other reproducer, a support H3 carries rollers H4 and H5 for normally supporting the tape. At the upper side-of the tape is an inclined guideway H6 for a roller I I1 freely movable therein, depending upon the direction of movement of the tape and movable by ;contact with the groove to deflect the tape to engage the stylus of the sound reproducer I08 between the supporting rollers H4 and H5 when the tape is moved in a proper direction.

With this construction, the movement of the tape in one direction will automatically bring one of the reproducers into action and when the tape is moved in the other direction, the other reproducer will be brought into action.

Instead of moving the tape, a sound track may have two diiierent portions H3 in one direction, and H9 in the other direction, so arranged at the ends that a sound reproducing device 920 if moved to the end of either one of the tracks H8, H9 and then reversed in direction of movement will follow the other track so that the sound reproduced in one direction will depend upon the message recorded upon the sound track H8, and the movement of the reproducer in the other direction will depend upon the message recorded on the other sound track ii 9.

From this it is apparent that different messages may be produced by the same sound reproducer moving in different directions or by a recording tape having diiierent portions and moving in different directions to engage different sound reproducers.

Various other changes in construction, combination and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A phonographic device, comprising a wheeled carrier having a handle, a sound tape mounted on the wheel of the carrier, a sound reproducing device for engagement with the sound tape, means for mounting the sound reproducing device on the carrier to swing into engagement with the tape and away from the tape, and operating means terminating adjacent the upper end of the handle for manually moving the said mounting means to make the sound reproducing device effective or non-effective.

2. A phonographic device, comprising a wheel, a carrier engaging the wheel having contact points for engaging th same surface upon which the wheel is mounted and a handle extending upwardly therefrom, a sound tape mounted on the wheel, a sound reproducing device for engagement with the sound tape, a link connected at one end to the carrier and at the other end to the sound reproducing device for swinging it toward and from the tape, and another link extending from the sound reproducing device to a point adjacent the upper end of the handle for moving th sound reproducing device on the first mentioned link toward and from the sound tape.

3. In a phonographic device, a contact wheel, a carriage in which the wheel is mounted for movement over a supporting surface, a sound tape carried by the wheel, a sound reproducing device and means supporting it upon the carrier for moving the device from the tape or to engage it, and guide means extending from the phonographic device and closely embracing the rim of the wheel for holding it in position with respect to the sound tape.

4. A phonographic device, comprising a wheeled carrier adapted to be moved over a supporting surface, a sound tape carried in a groove in the periphery of the wheel, a sound reproducing device having a stylus to engage the sound tape on the wheel, a guiding holder for the reproducing device having opposite arms extending inwardly from the sound reproducing device to embrace opposite sides of the periphery of the wheel, holding the stylus in position to engage the sound tape.

5. In a phonographic device, a wheeled carrier, a sound tape mounted upon the wheel of the carrier, a sound reproducing device and means for mounting the device on the carrier to move into and out of engagement with the sound tape, the reproducer comprising a hollow drum with a flexible diaphragm at one end from which a stylus secured to the central portion of the diaphragm extends into engagement with the tape.

6. In a phonographic device, a wheeled carrier, a sound tape mounted upon the wheel of the carrier, a sound reproducing device and means for mounting the device on the carrier to move into and out of engagement with the sound tape, the reproducer comprising a hollow drum, a diaphragm at both ends, one diaphragm having a stylus in the form of a staple projecting therefrom in engagement with the sound tape and the other diaphragm being larger and spaced therefrom,

7. In a phonographic device, a wheeled carrier, a sound tape mounted upon the wheel of the carrier, a sound reproducing device and means for mounting the device on the carrier to move into and out of engagement with the sound tape, the reproducer comprising a hollow drum with a diaphragm at each end, one of the diaphragms having a stylus in the form of a staple projecting therefrom for engaging the sound tape, and the diaphragm at the other end having a central perforation therein.

8. In a phonographic device, a wheeled carrier, a sound tape mounted upon the wheel of the carrier, a sound reproducing device and means for mounting the device on the carrier to move into and out of engagement with the sound tape, a reproducer comprising a drum having a diaphragm at opposite ends and a stylus projecting from one of the diaphragms for engaging the sound tape, the stylus having projections through one diaphragm adjacent the tape to and engaging the diaphragm. at the other end of the drum for amplifying sound from the tape.

LADIS H. OTTOFY.

REFERENCES CHTED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 423,039 Edison Mar. 11, 1890 530,107 Hill Dec. 4, 1894 836,470 Smith Nov. 20, 1906 1,276,968 Rutzen Aug. 27, 1918 1,484,965 Bitter Feb. 26, 1924 1,668,005 Dougherty May 1, 1928 1,797,243 Wildhaber Apr. 2, 1929 1,933,501 Allen Oct. 31, 1933 1,998,149 Warner Apr. 16, 1935 2,236,431 Hollingsworth et al. Mar. 25, 1941 2,323,066 May June 29, 1943 2,341,468 Neumann Feb. 8, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 390,878 Germany Feb. 25, 1924 477,736 Great Britain Jan. 5, 1938 

